Medical Books Among Antiques to be Sold at Nye & Co., Aug. 16

BLOOMFIELD, N.J. - Paintings by the Russian Federation artist Kharlampi Kostandi (1868-1939), Reginald Marsh (Am., 1898-1954) and Ogden Minton Pleissner (Am., 1905-1983), plus items from the collection of Academy Award-nominated actress Grayson Hall (1925-1985) and her writer-husband Sam Hall (1921-2014) will all come up for bid on Wednesday, August 16th.

They’re part of what awaits bidders at Nye & Company Auctioneers’ Summer Estate Treasures Auction, online and in the firm’s gallery at 20 Beach Street in Bloomfield, just north of Newark and not far from New York City. For those unable to attend live, online bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted.

Around 700 lots will come up for bid, including about 50 lots of silver, Mid-Century Modern furniture, doctors’ and medical books, and property from a member of the Russian Royal Family, prominent New York and New Jersey estates, and property from a UN Plaza private collector.

“As a result of local estate liquidation, the August auction has some unexpected highlights,” said John Nye, president and principal auctioneer of Nye & Company Auctioneers. “They’re the type of strong lots usually associated with a fall sale. We anticipate international interest in the major paintings, both from the internet and phone bidders.” The sale will begin at 10 am Eastern time. 

The oil on canvas painting by Russian Federation artist Kharlampi Kostandi, a pretty moonlight seascape measuring 24 inches by 30 inches, is a strong candidate for top lot of the auction, with a pre-sale estimate of $40,000-$60,000. The work, artist signed, and has just some small paint loss.

Reginald Marsh was an American painter who was born in Paris and is best known for his depictions of life in New York City in the 1920s and ‘30s. His watercolor and ink rendering of tugboats at sea, titled simply Tugs, is signed and dated (1944) and should bring $8,000-$12,000.

Ogden Minton Pleissner was an American painter specializing in landscapes and war art related to his service in World War II. But the watercolor depiction of homes in a bucolic countryside setting is anything but warlike. His signed painting, titled Avallon, is estimated at $2,000-$4,000.

Also offered will be a large-size Manhattan riverscape engraving, 32 inches tall by 51 inches wide, from a painting by J. W. Hill titled New York. The framed piece, engraved by C. Mottram and published by F. & G.W. Smith (N.Y.), has some tears and is expected to hit $800-$1,200.

The items from the estate of Sam and Grayson Hall came out of the 1799 house the couple bought together on the Hudson River in Rhinebeck, N.Y. The home was a showplace, featured in the January 1983 issue of Architectural Digest. Many of its appointments are in the auction.

Grayson Hall was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in John Houston’s 1964 film Night of the Iguana. But she’s best remembered as Dr. Julia Hoffman, the doctor who fell in love with the vampire character Barnabas Collins on the cult classic soap, Dark Shadows. Sam Hall was a writer on the show; he was also head writer for the soap opera One Life to Live.

The Mid-Century Modern furniture will feature tables by Gilbert Rohde (1894-1994) for Herman Miller. Rohde’s career as a furniture and industrial designer helped define American Modernism during its first phase, from the late 1920s to World War II. He is credited today for inaugurating Modern design at Herman Miller, Inc. Rohde lived in and around New York City his entire life.

Rohde’s tables in the sale include a Paldao coffee table (stenciled #4186), having a biomorphic top supported on one tapering leg and one curved support, both covered in tan, circa 1940 (est. $800-$1,200); and a Cloud occasional table (model #4187, stenciled #4186, circa 1940s), with acacia burl, brass nailheads and vinyl wrapped wood legs. It’s expected to finish at $400-$600.

Additional furniture pieces in the sale will include a Dutch Baroque-style inlaid chest of drawers with mirror, produced in the late 19th or early 20th century, with four drawers on bun feet (est. $800-$1,200); and a figural steel bistro set consisting of two “he-she” barstools and a table, designed by Fred Garbotz and manufactured by Rockledge Design Studios (est. $500-$700).

Other items up for bid will include an 18th/19th century French Louis XV gilt wood oval mirror, 73 inches tall by 49 inches wide, with two candlearms (est. $1,500-$2,500); a 14kt yellow gold diamond and sapphire necklace, stamped Italy, with 35 small round prong set diamonds (est. $1,500-$2,500); and a J.E. Caldwell sterling silver teapot with stand and burner (est. $500-$800).

John Nye had a long and fruitful career at Sotheby’s before he and his wife, Kathleen, acquired Dawson’s in 2003 and started Dawson & Nye. With the move to Bloomfield seven years later, they renamed the business to Nye & Company (Auctioneers, Appraisers, Antiques). The firm is nationwide, but the vast bulk of the business comes from trusts and estates in the tri-state area.

For more information about Nye & Company Auctioneers and the Summer Estate Treasures Auction scheduled for Wednesday, August 16th, please visit www.nyeandcompany.com.